Display container



Sept 20, 1966 J. FRU-:OMAN 3,273,701

DISPLAY CONTAINER Filed March 3l, 1965 INVENTOR, Jerome FnedmonI ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O M 3,273,701 DISPLAY CONTAINER Jerome Friedman, 19 The Genada, Roslyn Heights, N.Y.

Filed Mar. 31, 1965, Ser. No. 444,265

11 Claims. (Cl. 20645) The present invention relates to a box with a removable cover, for holding preferably identically-sized or substantially similar elongated objects in upright position, and though closely spaced in the box, said objects automatically shift to have easy access to any of them when the box is open. These boxes may be used for holding a set of hand steel stamps as herein illustrated, or as a display package for marking crayons, which are stated as examples.

An object of this invention, is to provide a novel and improved box with a removable cover, in which the objects normally rest on the box oor, but upon setting the laden box into the cover member which is a tray-form, certain of the objects will be automatically raised to different heights respectively. Upon removal of the box from the cover, all the objects in the box will again automatically come to rest on the box floor. Some of them may be arranged always to remain at rest on said floor. The cover member can be set top the box, to close i-t.

Another object thereof is to provide a novel and improved box construction of the character described, which is simple and reasonable in cost to manufacture, automatic in its action and efficient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objec-ts and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For one practice of this invention, the box member is divided into a number of vertical compartments. The oor wall of each compartment has a hole therethrough. The cover member is a tray-form which when lifted oli the box member, can have the laden box member set thereinto. Extending within the cover member from what is its iloor wall, are erect pins of various heights, which enter into the box member through said holes respectively when the box member is set into the cover member.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this spe cication, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of the cover member of a box construction embodying the teachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the box member which is divided into three rows of substantially identical compartment, three compartments per row, to hold a set of hand steel stamps.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of said box member of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section taken at line 4-4 in FIG. 2 of the box laden and covered.

FIG. 5 is a sec-tion similarly taken of the laden box when set into the cover member.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of another form of box member.

In the drawing, the numeral designates generally an open-mouthed, downwardly tapered, rectangular box member which is divided by crossed upright partitions 16-19 to have three rows of identical vertical compartments of square cross section, with three compartments in every row; said compartments being indicated by the numerals 20-28 respectively. The oor wall 29 of the partitioned box member 15, has a hole therethrough centrally into each of said compartments respectively; said holes being denoted by the numerals primed of the compartments Ithey are respectively communicative with. The cover member 30 is an open-mouthed box or tray which 3,273,701 Patented Sept. 20, V1966 ICC sets inverted on the box member 15, on a ledge 31 a little below the mouth rim of said box member 16. Extending within the cover member 30, from what is its floor wall, and part way to Ithe mouth of said cover member, are erect pins. In the embodiment shown, the pins 32-34 are -twice the length of the pins 35-37. The pins 32-34 can be set into the holes of any outer row, and the pins 35-37 can be set into the holes of any middle row.

When the cover member 30 is atop the box member 15 as in FIG. 4, the pins are above the steel stamps, only three of which are shown and particularly designated by the numerals 38-40 which respectively occupy the compartments 20, 23 and 26. When the coevr member 30 is removed and the laden box member 15 set thereinto, the symmetrical arrangement here shown, permits the pins 3234 to be set to enter the respective holes in any outer row and the pins 35-37 will enter the holes in the parallel middle row. It is evident the stamps in one row which includes the stamp 38 will be raised by the longer pins, and the stamps in the row which parallel to said rstmentioned row containing the stamp 39 will be raised by the pins 35-37 to a lesser height, and the row of pins including pin 40, will remain on the floor of .the box member 15, when Ithe cover member 30 is set so that the pins 32, 33, 34 enter the holes 26', 27', 28' respectively, whereupon simultaneously, the pins 35, 36, 37 will enter the holes 23', 24', 25 respectively. If desired, but not shown, there may be shorter pins than 35 to enter the holes 20', 21', 22' respectively, to lift a bi-t, the set of stamps which include 40, in which instance all the pin lengths are suitably chosen to attain the desired stepped relation.

This type of box structure may serve as a display package for articles of general merchandise suitable therein. For the holding of tools as the hand steel stamps here shown as an example, the box structure makes it practical for a mechanic to handle them at his bench because of the accessibility altorded.

A set of steel stamps for the alphabet and numerals consists of 36 pieces, namely from A-Z and from 0-9. A box structure for such use can have 36 compartments arranged in six rows of six compartments per row, or four rows arranged in nine compartments per row, with suitable sets of pins in the cover member as herein taught to accomplish the stepped formation as shown in FIG. 5, which is believed readily understandable without further illustration.

When the number of rows equals the number of compartments per row and all the compartmen-ts are with a square oor and equi-spaced as necessary, the box member 15 may be positioned into the cover member 30, in four different positions.

In embodiments where the box member is to be entered in only one position into the tray member, the holes 20', 21' and 22' may be omitted.

It is only a matter of choice to arrange the compartments in parallel straight rows. In the practice of this invention, the compartments may be arranged for instance in arcuate, sinuous, zig-zag, non-orderly, or as particularly shown in circular lanes as in FIG. 6, wherein the compartments are shown to be cylindrical. The compartments 41 in .the outer lane, have no holes through their oor. Then there is an inner lane having the compartments 43. A central lane may have but a single compartment 44. The cover or tray member for this specific embodiment is not shown, but its construction is readily understood without further illustration, to require a pin for entrance through the hole 44', into the compartment 44, and relatively shorter pins, all of one size, for entrance respectively through the holes 43', to extend into the compartments 43 respectively, in order to attain the stepped presentment of articles when said container 42 laden, is set in-to its cover member. The container 42 may be a wooden block in which the compartments are bores therein.

The articles taught herein may be molded of plastic and it is preferred to have the cover member transparent.

This invention is capable of numerous forms in addition to those indicated herein, and has various applicaltions without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments mentioned and shown herein shall be deemed merely illus-trative and not restrictive and that Ithe patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a box structure of .the character described, an upright open top box member having a plurality of holes through its bottom wall, said holes being in a predetermined spaced relation from each other, structure within the box member dividing it into open-top vertical cornpartments; said holes being communicative with one compartment respectively, a separate tray member having said box member therewithin and parallel pins cxtending from the floor wall of the tray member, through said holes and into said compartments respectively; the lengths of certain of said pins being different than the lengths of other of said pins; the tray member when separated from the box member, being adapted to be placed inverted on .the box member as a cover over its mouth.

2. A box structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the compartments are arranged in adjacent lanes; the pins extending into compartments of the same lane, being equal in length and the lengths of pins extending into the compartments of adjacent lanes, being different.

3. A box structure as defined in claim 2, wherein there lare more than two lanes; the pins extending into the compartments of each lane which is between two lanes, being shorter in length than the pins extending into the compartments of one of said two lanes.

4. A box structure :as defined in claim 3, wherein none 'of the pins extend into .the compartments of the other of said two lanes.

5. A box structure as defined in claim 3, wherein there are three lanes.

6. A box structure as defined in claim 3, wherein there are three lane's and none of the pins extend into .the compartments of the other of said two lanes.

7. A box structure as defined in claim 3, wherein the lanes are straight and parallel, Ithe number of compartments per lane is equal to the number of lanes, the axes of the pins extending into corresponding compartments in the lanes, are coplanar, the axis of each pin is centrally of the compartment it is in, the traverse cross-section of each compartment is square, and equal to each other, the box member can be placed into the tray member so that any outer lane is along and over a predetermined region of the floor wall of the tray member.

8. A box structure as defined in claim 3, wherein the pins extending into the compartments of each lane which is between two lanes, are shorter than the pins extending into the compartments or the lane to one side of said intermediate lane and longer than the pins extending into the compartments of the lane to the other side of said intermediate lane, whereby the corresponding pins of all the lanes determine a stepped formation.

9. A box structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the pins are substantially shorter than the depth of the tray member.

1f). A box structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the box member includes at least one compartment over a non-perforated portion of its oor wall.

11. A box structure as defined in claim 1, wherein the number of holes in the box members floor wall is more than the number of pins carried by the tray member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,135,625 4/1915 Savin 206-17 1,799,994 5/ 1931 Sternberg 312--73 1,953,418 4/1934 MacDonald 206-45 3,190,438 6/1965 Cain et a1 206-45 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. W. T. DIXSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BOX STRUCTURE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, AN UPRIGHT OPEN TOP BOX MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF HOLES THROUGH ITS BOTTOM WALL, SAID HOLES BEING IN A PREDETERMINED SPACED RELATION FROM EACH OTHER, STRUCTURE WITHIN THE BOX MEMBER DIVIDING IT INTO OPEN-TOP VERTICAL COMPARTMENTS; SAID HOLES BEING COMMUNICATIVE WITH ONE COMPARTMENT RESPECTIVELY, A SEPARATE TRAY MEMBER HAVING SAID BOX MEMBER THEREWITHIN AND PARALLEL PINS EXTENDING FROM THE FLOOR WALLS OF THE TRAY MEMBER, THROUGH SAID HOLES AND INTO SAID COMPARTMENTS RESPECTIVELY; THE LENGTHS OF CERTAIN OF SAID PINS BEING DIFFERENT THAN THE LENGTHS OF OTHER OF SAID PINS; THE TRAY MEMBER WHEN SEPARATED FROM THE BOX MEMBER, BEING ADAPTED TO BE PLACED INVERTED ON THE BOX MEMBER AS A COVER OVER ITS MOUTH. 